One week until offseason training program begins

The 49ers offseason training program begins a week from today, otherwise known as “not-soon-enough” when considering the legal trouble several players have run into since last season ended.

Most players have spent the first three months of the offseason by training away from the team facility, such as Colin Kaepernick in Miami.

That’s due in part to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, which forbids players from participating in club-supervised workouts, film study and playbook review prior to the start of a team’s offseason training program.

Some players, however, have been working at the 49ers’ Santa Clara facility, where the CBA allows strength coaches to supervise the room – but not lead workouts – to prevent injuries.

Many players are starting to return to the Bay Area in preparation for the three-pronged, offseason program.

In Phase 1, which covers the first two weeks, players are restricted to strength and conditioning, which for quarterbacks allows them to throw to uncovered receivers, without helmets and coaches’ on-field supervision.

Phase 2 covers the ensuing three weeks, with coaches allowed to work with on-field drills, though no live contact or “offense vs. defense” sessions are permitted.

The offseason program’s final four weeks, or Phase 3, clubs are allowed 10 days of organized team activities — or practices — with a maximum of three per week the first two weeks, and a maximum of four OTAs in either Week 8 or 9 of the offseason program. Coaches are allowed on the field, but again no live contact and no shoulder pads are allowed.

Here are the CBA guidelines pertaining to the past three months of club/player interaction:

Prior to the commencement of the Club’s official offseason workout program: (i) players may not receive daily workout payments or workout bonuses of any kind, and may not be paid or reimbursed expenses for travel, board or lodging; (ii) play ers are not permitted to participate in Club-supervised workouts, Club-supervised practices, group or individual meetings with coaches, group or individual film study with coaches, or group or individual playbook study with coaches; (iii) the Club’s strength and conditioning coaches may not direct players’ individual workouts, but may supervise use of the weight room to prevent injury and to correct misuse of equipment; and (iv) play­ers’ activities may not be directed or supervised by any coaches. In addition, nothing herein shall prevent a Club from permitting an individual player to work out on his own on weekends after the Club’s official offseason program has commenced, or at any time after the Club’s official offseason workout program has ended, using Club facilities if he wishes to do so, subject to the restrictions set forth in the immediately preceding sen­tence of this Subsection, except that no club official may indicate to a player that such individual workouts are not voluntary, or that a player’s failure to participate in such workouts will result in the player’s failure to make the Club (or that a player’s failure to participate in a workout program or classroom instruction will result in the player’s failure to make the Club or result in any other adverse consequences affecting his working conditions).